Beginning in April, a monthly series of free “Market Readiness” webinars – addressing marketing and selling strategies, tradeshow operations, and lead follow-up – will be offered to New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) exhibitors. Produced jointly by NYIGF and Right Angle Strategies, the series includes four pre-show Webinars, one post-show Webinar, and free, 15-minute business consultations during NYIGF.
The Webinars will be produced jointly by NYIGF and Right Angle Strategies, a business strategy and coaching consultancy lead by gift and home industry veterans Stu Teller and Laura Blunt. As an added benefit, Right Angle Strategies will offer all Webinar participants a free, in-booth, 15-minute business consultation upon request during the Fair.
“NYIGF’s Market Readiness sessions provide valuable information and action plans for exhibitors,” says Christian Falkenberg, NYIGF Manager and GLM Vice President. “The companies with the most success at market begin their work before market, and continue well after the event is over.”
Four pre-show Webinars will focus on pre-show marketing, sales techniques, and tradeshow operations. The fifth and final Webinar, which will be held one week after NYIGF, will address market follow-up. The Webinars are free for NYIGF exhibitors, and registration is available online at http://www.nyigf.com/Exhibitors/ExhibitorEducation.aspx#registration
The first session, “Marketing Tools to Make Your Show a Success,” will be led by Right Angle Strategies and public relations expert Cathy Steel of Steel Associates. Topics will include pre-show direct marketing, advertising and public relations, telemarketing, onsite promotions, and social media. It will take place Thursday, April 26, 2pm – 3:30pm (ET).
The second pre-show Webinar, “How to Attract Buyers and Close the Sale,” will be led by Stu Teller and Laura Blunt of Right Angle Strategies, and Russ Jones of HomeStyle. The session will address creating captivating booth space, capturing buyer interest, buyer interaction, and techniques to close the sale and obtain leads. It will take place Thursday, May 31, 2pm – 3:30pm (ET).
The third and fourth online sessions – both of which address tradeshow operations and logistics – will be produced by GLM’s Operations staff. The sessions, which will be split to address operational issues specific to the Javits Center and Piers, will outline time- and money-saving pre-show operations, set-up specifics, and break-down instructions. “NYIGF Pier Operations Made Easy” will take place Thursday, June 28, 1pm – 2pm (ET); and “NYIGF Javits Center Operations Made Easy” will take place Thursday, June 28, 3pm – 4pm (ET).
In the final, post-show Webinar, “How to Manage Orders and Leads Generated,” Right Angle Strategies will cover closing sales, following up on leads, processing orders and payments, and working with sales agencies. As part of the session, Eric Dean of Whereoware.com will offer tips for maximizing post-show leads through the NYIGF Online Catalog Gallery. It will take place Thursday, August 30, 2pm – 3:30pm (ET).
In addition to the free, in-booth business consultations offered to Webinar participants, Right Angle Strategies will staff an “Ask the Experts” booth onsite at NYIGF on Sunday, August 19, and Monday, August 20. The booth will be open 10:00am – 3:00pm daily. Additional information about Right Angle Strategies is available online.
The summer market takes place Saturday, August 18 – Wednesday, August 22 at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Piers 92 and 94. Some 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 80 countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration is available online at www.nyigf.com.
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